Weird Tales of Mewni
by VioletRose13
Summary: Eclipsa has trouble getting Meteora to fall asleep, so Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna each help out by telling her a story.
1. Prologue

Meteora was hopping up and down in her new crib, giggling and smiling all the while. Eclipsa ran a hand through her hair and sighed in frustration as Star, Marco, Tom, and Janna watched.

"Meteora, it's time for bed." She said.

"No tire!" The little girl babbled as she hopped all around the room.

"She's pretty hyper tonight, huh?" Tom commented.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't have let her polish off the leftover Halloween candy I brought with me." Janna commented, casually tossing a plastic pumpkin bucket to the side.

"What?!" Eclipsa exclaimed; she glared at Janna. "You told me a rabid raccoon ate it! Whatever a raccoon is."

"Rabid raccoon, your daughter. Hey, what's the difference?" Janna shrugged her shoulders; Eclipsa sighed and shook her head in frustration.

"Hey, why don't we try to tell her a story?" Marco chimed in. "It always works when I watch Mariposa."

"Oh! Good idea, Marco." Eclipsa said before she reached out and quickly grabbed her daughter from the ceiling before she could fall. "But there are so many stories. Which one should we tell?"

"I know of a few…" Tom said as he pulled out a book of scary stories.

"Tom, no horror stories." Star intervened, grabbing the book and tossing it aside. "What Meteora needs is…" She went over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book of fairy tales. "…one of _these_."

"Fairy tales? Please." Tom scoffed. "I'm _way_ too old for those." He sat down on the bed and pulled out a comic book. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna read something a little more sophisticated."

Marco took a glance at the cover of the comic Tom was holding and raised an eyebrow. "_The Haunted Lighthouse_? Seriously, dude? That's just grade A _GORE_."

"You read comics by Cecil Newtmincer, too?!" Janna exclaimed.

"Yeah!" They high-fived.

"Okay, okay. That's enough." Eclipsa said as she put Meteora back in her crib. "Who's going to tell a story first?"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh! I'll go! I've got a good one." Star cried out, excitedly raising her hand.

"Good. Go ahead, Star." Eclipsa said as she sat down next to Meteora's crib.

Star stood up, cleared her throat, and began. "Once upon a time…"


	2. CinderMarco

…There was a young boy named CinderMarco. He lived in a small house with his evil stepmother, Brittney, and his two stepbrothers, Jeremy and Oskar. Over the years, Brittney and her sons treated CinderMarco like a servant and forced him to wear rags and do all of the chores around the house, which made CinderMarco's life a misery. However, he kept a secret hope in his heart that this nightmare would finally end and he could be happy at last.

One day while CinderMarco was scrubbing the floor, there was a knock at the door. Oskar and Jeremy fought each other to answer it, but CinderMarco ended up answering the door anyway. On the doorstep was a small goblin-like creature wearing a hotel employee uniform; she was sweating and breathing heavily.

"Can I help you?" CinderMarco asked.

"Hi, I'm a messenger from the palace. Are you the man of the house?" The creature asked.

"_Him_? Man of the house?" Brittney scoffed as she roughly shoved CinderMarco out of the way. "Oh, NO WAY! He's just a servant. So, you're a palace messenger, eh?" Jeremy and Oskar joined their mother.

"Yes, I have a telegram for you." The messenger said as she finally caught her breath.

"A telegram?" Oskar asked.

"That's right." The messenger took a deep breath and began to sing.

"_As of now, you are cordially invited_

_To a ball at the palace in honor of the Princess_

_It's for the Princess to find herself a husband_

_So please RSVP us by midnight tomorrow_

_Sincerely, Their Majesties the King and Queen_"

Jeremy, Oskar, and Brittney all looked at each other in shock before they all started to cheer.

"We're going to a ball! We're going to a ball!" Jeremy and Oskar sang.

"That's right. The ball is this Friday and it starts at 7:00. Don't be late." The messenger said before disappearing in a puff of pale blue smoke.

Brittney closed the door and looked at her sons. "Boys, we've just been invited to a ball at the palace! Do you know what that means?"

Oskar scratched his head in thought before saying, "…No."

Jeremy kicked him in the shin. "You moron! It means that we'll get to meet the Princess!"

"That's right, Jeremy." Brittney said proudly. "And if you boys play your cards right, she'll choose one of _you_ as her suitor!"

"Maybe even _me_?" CinderMarco asked, stepping forward.

Brittney, Jeremy, and Oskar stared at CinderMarco in shock; CinderMarco nervously grinned as they all glared darkly at him.

"_YOU_?!" They asked in unison.

"Are you crazy?! What would a beautiful and powerful _Princess_ want with a scrawny, dorky loser like _you_?" Jeremy scoffed.

"Come on, guys. He can come with us, can't he?" Oskar said, trying to be nice to his stepbrother.

"Yeah, can't I go?" CinderMarco asked.

"Mom, are you listening to this?! You _can't_ let him go with us! He'll just cramp our style! It's not fair!" Jeremy whined as he violently grabbed Oskar's arm and pulled him towards him.

"Don't be ridiculous, CinderMarco." Brittney scoffed at her stepson, folding her arms. "We all know my own sons are handsome enough to win the Princess's heart. Face it, CinderMarco. You'll always be a lowly servant and nothing more."

"Yeah! And if you _did_ come with us, you'd just strike out!" Jeremy laughed.

"Now come on, boys. There's so much to do and so little time to do it. We want to be our very best for the ball, don't we?" Brittney said before walking away with her nose in the air.

"Yes, mother." Jeremy proudly said, trailing after his mother in the same manner.

"Sorry, dude." Oskar whispered to his stepbrother before joining them.

"CinderMarco, come here! Now! You have SO much work to do, even more than we do." Brittney yelled.

"Yes, ma'am." CinderMarco sighed as he trudged behind his stepfamily.

When the day of the ball came, CinderMarco worked harder than ever to help his stepbrothers get ready. He washed and ironed their best clothes, shined their shoes, and even helped his stepmother with her dress, hair, and makeup. Finally, it was time to go.

"Oooh, I'm so excited!" Jeremy said excitedly.

"Can't wait." Oskar added with a grin.

"Yes. And remember, boys; this is your _only_ chance to nab the Princess." Brittney instructed before turning to CinderMarco who was looking at himself in a mirror; he looked pretty sad. "And CinderMarco?"

"Yes, stepmother?" CinderMarco asked, turning his head to face Brittney.

"Don't wait up." Brittney said coldly before she, Jeremy, and Oskar left for the ball.

The front door was slammed shut in CinderMarco's face and he could hear his stepfamily laughing themselves silly as they drove off to the castle. CinderMarco sighed and headed over to the fireplace in the living room; he sat down and pulled his knees to his chin.

"Stepmother's right. I'll never be anything more than a loser." He lamented. "I wish I could go…"

"Don't be like that, darling." An unfamiliar voice said.

CinderMarco suddenly shot up in shock and looked around for the source of the voice. And to his amazement, a mysterious and beautiful woman with gray eyes and teal hair appeared out of thin air wearing a beautiful black and purple dress and a wide brimmed hat and holding a lavender purple parasol in one hand. She helped the stunned boy to his feet.

"Hello, CinderMarco." She said with a kind smile.

"Who are you?" CinderMarco asked.

"Who am _I_?" The woman said; she gave him a curtsy. "I am your Fairy Godmother."

"Fairy Godmother?"

"That's right. And I'm here to grant your greatest wish."

"My wish?"

"To go to the ball, of course. Isn't that what you want?"

"The ball?!" CinderMarco grinned. "More than anything!"

"You have but to ask."

"Okay! I wish I could go to the ball!" He paused and looked down at his ragged clothes. "But… I have nothing to wear."

"Don't worry, dear. I can fix that." She cleared her throat and closed her eyes. "Rags to riches."

With just a wave of her parasol, the Fairy Godmother transformed CinderMarco's outfit into that of a fine prince. CinderMarco looked at himself and he couldn't believe what he was seeing; he looked like a whole new person.

"Now you just need a ride." The Fairy Godmother said before taking a whistle in the shape of a dragon out of her dress pocket. She blew into the whistle and a dragon cycle suddenly flew through the window and stopped right in front of CinderMarco.

"CinderMarco, meet Nachos." She said with a smile.

"Whoa! This is so cool!" CinderMarco cried as he climbed onto the dragon's back. "I'm actually going to the ball, I can't believe it!"

"That's right, CinderMarco, but remember." The Fairy Godmother warned. "You must lee the ball by midnight. By the stroke of twelve, everything will return to what it was before."

"Midnight, got it!" CinderMarco said, nodding his head. "Come on, girl! Let's go!"

And with that Nachos spread her wings and flew out of the window towards the palace. The Fairy Godmother smiled as she watched CinderMarco disappear into the night sky.

"Looks like my work is done here." She said before disappearing in a plume of lavender smoke.

At the castle, the ball was in full swing. The Princess sat with her mother and father, the King and Queen, on their thrones watching the ball progress. But soon, Princess Star was growing rather bored.

"What's wrong, my dear?" The King asked.

"Nothing." The Princess said. "It's just that I haven't met a decent guy all night."

"Come now, Star dear. There are lots of young men here just waiting to meet you. Why don't you just give them a chance?" The Queen asked.

"Why should I? All of these guys are just interested in my crown and title, not me as a person." The Princess argued.

"Oh! Here come some suitors!" The King said as he saw Brittney, Jeremy, and Oscar approach.

The Princess sighed and sat up straight. Oscar was the first to approach.

"Hello, Your Highness. I'm Oskar, your future kingpin." He said as he bowed.

"And _I_ am Jeremy. It is an honor to meet you. Would you care for a dance?" Jeremy said, pushing his brother out of the way.

"Hey, _I_ asked her first." Oskar said.

"No. All _you_ did was say a stupid bowling pun."

"Puns are funny, unlike _you_."

"You want me to kick your butt right here, right now?"

"I'd like to see you try, little man."

"Boys, please not now." Brittney muttered in embarrassment.

"Losers." The Princess said with a frown before clapping her hands.

Two beefy guards suddenly came up from behind the two boys, lifted them off the floor, and took them to another corner of the ballroom. Without saying a word, Brittney nervously grinned, curtsied, and quickly followed after them. Princess Star glared at her mother.

"Okay, now I admit that those two were a little… peculiar. But—" She started.

"No buts, mom." Star retorted. "It's _hopeless_. At this rate, I'll _never_ find my true love."

Suddenly, the music stopped and people stopped talking; everything went quiet and the Princess didn't know why. From not too far away, she soon caught a glimpse of CinderMarco as he entered the ballroom and her eyes widened as her mouth fell open.

"Who is THAT?" She asked as she stood up from her throne.

"Star, dear?" The Queen asked, trying to get her daughters attention.

"Are you okay?" The King asked.

Without hesitation, the Princess made her way over to CinderMarco who was too awestruck to even notice. When she approached him, she cleared her throat and said,

"Hi."

CinderMarco turned his head in her direction and was shocked to see Princess Star standing right in front of him. Trying to remain calm, he bowed before her.

"Oh! Hello, Your Highness." He said.

"I don't mean to sound forward but… would you like to dance?" The Princess asked.

"Dance? W-w-with _you_?" CinderMarco asked, astonished. "I-I mean… yes, I'd love to."

She took his hand and excitedly led him out to the dance floor. The lights in the ballroom slowly dimmed and the orchestra began to play a waltz. CinderMarco and the Princess began to dance along with the music playing around them, unaware of the other guests making room for them on the dance floor. Everyone watched in awe, wondering who this mysterious boy was and why the Princess seemed so infatuated with him.

"Who in the world is that?" The King whispered to his wife.

"No one seems to know." The Queen answered. "…but it _does_ look like our daughter is taking a shine to him, hmm?"

"You're right; I've never seen my little girl look so happy."

"Me neither. It looks like she might find herself a husband here after all."

"And you said this was a bad idea."

The Queen playfully rolled her eyes and smiled, affectionately holding the King's hand. CinderMarco and the Princess then danced past Brittney and her two sons, who were staring at them in disappointment, confusion, and jealousy.

"Whoa, where'd _that_ dude come from?" Oskar asked.

"He's totally hogging the Princess, that's not fair!" Jeremy whined. He looked up at Brittney. "Mother, who is he?!"

"I don't know." Brittney said before pausing. "Wait a minute, is it just me or… is there something vaguely _familiar_ about that boy?"

"Wow, you're so skillful on your feet." The Princess commented. "You're probably the only one who hasn't crashed into furniture or pulled a hamstring tonight."

"Thank you. I've been taking karate for a while so I'm kind of an expert at keeping my balance." CinderMarco replied. "But… would you believe me if I said I've never done anything like this before?"

"Seriously? Me neither."

They laughed.

Over the course of the evening, CinderMarco was having the time of his life with the Princess at his side the entire time. But he was having so much fun, he completely forgot his Fairy Godmother's warning… and midnight was fast approaching. As CinderMarco and the Princess danced one more time, the clock started to chime.

"Hey, what time is it?" CinderMarco asked.

"I think it's midnight. Why?" The Princess replied.

"Midnight?! Oh no!" CinderMarco knew he had to get out of sight before the clock struck twelve or the Princes would see him in rags.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but I gotta go."

"Go?"

"There's no time to explain, I just really need to leave! NOW!"

CinderMarco kissed the Princess on the cheek and ran off. He ran through the huge crowds of people and monsters, trying to reach the exit of the ballroom. After a moment, the Princess started to chase after him, calling out for him to stop.

"Wait, don't go! I don't even know your name!" She yelled.

CinderMarco kept running until he finally reached the ballroom's exit. He ran through the halls and down the staircase, but as he ran, he tripped on the rug and lost one of his dancing shoes on the stairs. The moment he made it outside, he hopped onto Nachos' back and flew off back to his home just as the clock chimed midnight.

Princess Star had finally made it outside, but CinderMarco was already long gone. She sighed in defeat before noticing something on the stair; she picked it up and realized that it was CinderMarco's missing shoe.

"Oh no! I have to find that handsome stranger…" She said before getting an idea. "…and I know exactly how to do it."

The Princess then issued a proclamation; she declared that she would only marry the boy whose foot fit the shoe left behind. So the very next morning, the Princess, the King, and the Queen took the shoe and travelled the kingdom for the foot that the shoe fit. They tried it on every single male they met; unfortunately, they had no luck. No luck that is until they came to the last house in the kingdom, the house of CinderMarco and his stepfamily.

"Guys, the Princess is here!" Jeremy called as he was standing by the window.

"Good! Oskar, go lock CinderMarco in his room." Brittney told Oskar.

"What? Why?" Oskar asked.

"So he can't try on the shoe, DUH!" Jeremy pointed out.

"But-but—" Oskar stuttered.

"Do as I say, or else!" Brittney demanded.

Afraid to disobey his mother, Oskar did as he was told. The moment he was gone, there was a knock at the door. Brittney answered it and the Princess and her parents were standing in the doorway.

"Well hello, Your Majesties!" She said with an exaggerated curtsy. "We've been expecting you! Please, come on."

Jeremy was the first one to try on the shoe, but it was far too big for the bratty eight-year-old. Then Oskar came into the room and he tried it on too, but it was too small for him.

"Is there anyone else in the house?" The Princess asked, refusing to give up hope.

"No way!" Jeremy lied.

"Of course not." Brittney smugly added.

The Princess let out a sigh and hung her head in disappointment. Her parents each put a hand on her back to comfort her.

"It's alright, darling." The King said.

"Yes, dear. I'm sure we'll eventually find him." The Queen added.

"Wait!" Oskar cried out just as the three royals were about to leave. "There's CinderMarco."

At that moment, CinderMarco entered the room dressed in his usual rags. Brittney and Jeremy's eyes widened in shock and anger; they had no idea what Oskar was doing and why he was doing it. The Princess took the shoe, approached CinderMarco, and put it in his hands. With a smirk, he bent down and placed the shoe onto his foot; it fit perfectly.

"WHAT?!" Brittney shrieked.

"No way! He wasn't even at the ball! It _can't_ be him!" Jeremy yelled.

"Oh yeah?" CinderMarco remarked as he took the other shoe out of his pocket and put it on.

"No, no, no, NO! That's not fair!" Jeremy whined as he fell to the floor and threw a tantrum.

Oskar merely said nothing and smiled as he watched his brother make an idiot out of himself.

"No, please no! That can't be happening! This _cannot_ be happening to me!" Brittney screamed; she was just about ready to tear her hair out.

"Oh, it can… and it is." A familiar female voice chimed in.

Everyone looked to see CinderMarco's Fairy Godmother appear and with a wave of her wand, CinderMarco's shabby clothes were instantly turned into the same clothes he wore at the ball. The Princess grinned and gave CinderMarco a big hug.

"It's you, it's really you!" She cheered.

"Yeah, it's me." CinderMarco said, hugging her back.

"Can we kiss now?"

"Uh, please."

And with that, the Princess planted her lips onto his in a romantic kiss.

"Yuck!" Jeremy gagged.

"Then it's official, the wedding starts immediately!" The King announced.

"And that mean _we're_ invited, right?" Brittney asked, holding Jeremy in her arms like a baby.

"Of course not." The Queen quickly answered.

"What?" Jeremy and Brittney asked.

"After the way you two treated CinderMarco, I see no reason to invite either of you." The Queen replied.

"What about me?" Oskar asked.

"Oskar my boy, you have redeemed yourself. _You_ can come, but not your mother or your brother." The King chimed in.

"Fine with me." Oskar said with a casual shrug.

"Oskar, you traitor!" Jeremy yelled.

"How could you?!" Brittney commanded.

"I think it was quite easy. And I say you two have been in CinderMarco's life long enough." The Fairy Godmother added before clapping her hands. "Oh Nachos!"

Nachos suddenly appeared and she chased Brittney and Jeremy out of the house, never to be seen again.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"And so, CinderMarco and Princess Star were married and they lived happily ever after." Star concluded with a smile.

"Good story, Star." Janna said.

"Yeah, especially the part where Nachos chased Jeremy and Brittney out of town." Marco chimed in with a laugh.

"Living happily ever after… which is what _I'll_ do if Meteora ever goes to sleep." Eclipsa commented, running a hand through her hair; Meteora was trying to bite her way out of her cradle.

"Hmmm, maybe we should try another story." Star chimed in.

"Whatever. I'm too grown up for fairy tales." Tom said, not looking up from his comic.

"Why don't _I_ go next? I've got a pretty decent story." Janna offered.

"It'd better not be a horror story, Janna. We're trying to get Meteora to go to sleep, remember?" Marco pointed out.

"Don't worry, dude. It's not, I promise." Janna said. "Once upon a time…"


	3. Sleeping Janna

…There was a kingdom ruled by a good king and queen who longed for nothing more than a child of their own. At last, their wish was granted when a beautiful baby girl was born. A few days after the Princess's birth, a grand party was held at the palace and the whole kingdom was invited to the celebration, even the Three Good Fairies were asked to attend. Everyone was having a wonderful time while celebrating the baby Princess. When the three fairies arrived, the King stood up from his throne and clapped his hands; all of the guests turned their attention to him.

"Thank you all very much for coming today." The King declared. "I say it's time for the event you've all been waiting for."

"Yes, dear." The Queen added. "It's time for our guests of honor to give their gifts to our little Princess. In your own time."

The three Fairies nodded their heads and smiled back at the King and Queen as they made their way towards the cradle where the tiny baby princess was laying; all standing in a single file line. The fist fairy was tall with a proud smile, blue eyes, pale blue eyes, and magenta diamonds on her cheeks. She smiled at the baby and closed her eyes as her wand started to glow a pale blow.

"My gift to the Princess is surpassing beauty." She announced as she cast her spell.

The second fairy stepped forward; she has slightly shorter than the elder fairy with a kind smile, gray eyes, teal hair, and dark pink spades on her cheeks. She closed her eyes and opened her parasol as the ornament on top started to glow a bright purple.

"My gift to the Princess is a friendly disposition and a good heart." She declared, casting the spell.

Then the third and final fairy stepped forward; she looked to be no more than fifteen years old with a big smile, bright blonde hair, blue eyes, and pink hearts on her cheeks. She held her wand over head, but she could cast a spell or say anything, everything was suddenly interrupted by the front doors of the castle bursting open by a great gust of wind, followed by a huge cloud of dark smoke. When the wind stopped, everyone looked to see a tall woman with a frightening scowl, dark clothes, pale skin, and equally pale hair walked out of the cloud of smoke. As she slowly approached the King and Queen, the guests cowered in fear and trembled as the woman passed by.

"Well, well, well, what a get-together this is." The woman spoke in an almost sarcastic tone. "I see everyone has managed to come." She then glared at the three Fairies. "Even the little _pests_, how quaint."

"What are you doing here, Heinous?" The eldest Fairy demanded.

"What do you want?" The second Fairy asked.

"Isn't it obvious, ladies? I'm here for the party. Although, I do feel rather distressed when I didn't receive an invitation." The woman dubbed as Heinous replied.

"You're not welcome here!" The youngest Fairy shouted.

The room was deathly silent; no one moved or made a sound. That is until Heinous let out a wicked chuckle.

"Oh, dear." She laughed. "How terribly awkward, indeed. I only hoped it was due to some oversight."

"And… you're not offended?" The Queen nervously asked.

"Why no, Your Majesty. You know what? Just to show you all I mean no harm, I shall bestow a gift on the child as well."

Everyone in the room gasped in terror, especially the three Fairies who all stood around the cradle with their wands raised to protect the Princess.

"Come now, everyone. It will be quick and painless, I promise. My gift is to teach you people the consequences of your reckless actions."

Heinous walked over to the cradle and stared down at the little Princess. She then took out a scepter with a neon green crystal ball at the very top; it gradually glowed brighter and brighter as she spoke.

"This baby shall indeed grow up to be good friends with all who know her." She began. "But… before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday, she shall prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!"

The room erupted in gasps and shouts of concern as Heinous cast her spell upon the baby Princess. The King, the Queen, the Fairies, and the crowd all watched helplessly as the baby was engulfed in a sickening green light before falling back onto her cradle. Heinous laughed triumphantly as she vanished; everybody in the room gasped in shock. The Queen was now sobbing in fear while the King did his best to comfort her.

"My poor baby! There must be something we can do, like a counter spell or a remedy or something. Anything!" The Queen wept.

"I'm sorry, but there is none." The eldest Fairy solemnly said, stepping forward.

"We have no more spells." The second Fairy added.

"Wait!" The youngest Fairy called, stepping forward. "Not all hope is lost; I still have _my_ gift to give."

"That's right, dear; you haven't." The second Fairy said, trying to sound hopeful.

"But she's still a young fairy. There's no way she'd have the power to undo Heinous' curse."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesties, but I'm afraid she's right." The youngest said. "I can't counter the spell… but I _can_ soften it."

"Whatever it is, just do your best." The eldest said.

"Yes, go on." The second added.

"Okay, I'll do the best I can. Now what to do…?"

The teenage Fairy thought for a moment, then she came up with a solution. She approached the cradle and looked down at the baby with a small; the crystal in her magic wand glowed a bright yellow.

"Little Princess, you _won't_ die from pricking that spindle." She started. "But instead, you will only fall into a deep sleep that will last many years and you can only be awakened by true love's kiss."

The Fairy cast the spell upon the baby and everyone applauded, especially her fellow fairies.

"And don't worry, Your Majesties." The young Fairy chimed in. "If the Princess sleeps, the entire kingdom will sleep along with her. So that when she wakes up, everything will be as it was. It's gonna be fine, trust me."

But the King and Queen didn't want to take any chances; they didn't want Heinous' horrible curse to come true under any costs. So when the party was over, the King immediately issued a proclamation throughout the kingdom. Spinning yarn and spinning wheels were forbidden across the land in order to keep his daughter safe from the curse.

Years went by and the Princess had grown up to be a lovely young lady, even though she was viewed as a little odd by the castle staff and most of the kingdom. She enjoyed dark and macabre things and liked to study dark matters for fun, but she was still friendly and kind to other people, especially monsters. However, the Princess remained unaware of the curse or even the existence of spinning wheels.

It was the Princess's sixteenth birthday and while her parents were away, the Princess decided to explore the castle by herself. She knew most of the castle like the back of her hand, but there are other places she wanted to see. Then she remembered something; a lone tower in the farthest corners of the castle. No one went up there, so she thought it would be the perfect place to explore.

When no one was looking, the Princess snuck away and went up to the tower. But as she climbed up the stairs, she thought she heard a strange sound coming from the top of the tower. Burning with curiosity, she continued her way up. When she reached the door at the top of the tower, she opened it and saw an old woman sitting at a spinning wheel. The Princess was surprised; she had never seen a spinning wheel before, so she didn't know what it was. The old woman then turned around and saw the Princess standing there.

"Oh, hello, young lady." The woman said.

"Hi." The princess greeted. "What are you doing?"

"You don't know? I'm spinning."

"Spinning? What's that?"

"Oh, what is this generation coming to? This is called a spinning wheel and it's used to spin yarn. It's not exactly the most glamorous job in the world."

"I think it's cool. Can I try, too?"

"Oh, most certainly."

The Princess reached out her hand, but before she could grab the thread, she suddenly pricked her finger on the spindle.

"Ow!" She cried.

Before anything else could be done, the Princess suddenly fell to the floor. The room was silent; the Princess lay on the floor with her eyes closed and her body unmoving. The old woman stood over the unconscious teenager and removed her cloak. It was Heinous.

"I did it. Nearly twenty years of waiting… and it was all WORTH IT!" She cackled.

Heinous broke into triumphant laughter before she vanished in a bright green flash. The wicked Fairy's curse had finally come true, Princess Janna had pricked her finger and she had fallen into a death-like sleep. And the moment she did, a shockwave of magic was spread all across the kingdom, causing everyone in the land to fall asleep, including the grieving King and Queen. The Three Fairies stood on the outskirts of the kingdom just as the spell had been cast.

"The spell has come to pass." The eldest Fairy said.

"Yep. Now we just have to wait." The youngest Fairy added.

"Yes, but for how long?" The second Fairy asked.

"Like… a hundred years?"

The two elder Fairies gasped in shock. "_One hundred years_?!"

"Exactly. That's why I put the rest of the kingdom to sleep, too. If I didn't add that last part, then everything the Princess knew and loved would be gone when she finally wakes up. And we can't have that, can we?"

"But… Oh. Actually, that's pretty smart." The second Fairy said.

"Thanks. You guys _really_ need to stop underestimating me." The young Fairy said before Heinous suddenly appeared; only this time, she had clovers on her cheeks and her pupils became slits.

"Putting everyone in the land to sleep with the Princess? Nice try, but you're all out of luck. I have another surprise." She said, gripping her scepter tightly.

Heinous raised her scepter into the air and cast another spell; this time, she made an entire forest of branches and vines covered in thorns sprout up from the ground like weeds. The vines covered every inch of the kingdom until nothing else could be seen. The Fairies only watched with wide eyes, unable to do anything else.

"Let's see anyone try to make their way through _that_." Heinous taunted, lowering her scepter.

"Someone _will_ come, you'll see." The young Fairy said, undeterred by the elder one's words.

"You do have a way with words, child. But if someone _does_ come, I'll have _one_ more surprise in store."

And with that, Heinous disappeared in a green flash, leaving the Three Fairies alone once again. They looked at each other.

"Well, I've done everything I can." The young Fairy said, sounding defeated.

"That's okay, dear." The eldest chimed in.

"Yes, you did your best and that's all that matters." The second added.

"Thanks, girls. Now all there's nothing we can do, except wait."

They each raised their wands over their heads; the wands and their eyes started to glow and in a bright flash, all three of them grew wings and transformed into three beautiful butterfly-like creatures. As they flew into the air, the youngest Fairy looked back at the castle.

"Good luck, Princess." She said before flying away with her fellow Fairies.

Time passed and Princess Janna, her parents, the loyal subjects, and the rest of the kingdom never changed. The Princess lay in an enchanted dreamless sleep, waiting for her true love to come. A hundred years seemed to fly by and one fateful day, someone did come. It was a young demon prince by the name of Tom. He was riding around on his dragon cycle until he came across the forest of thorns. He heard many rumors about the cursed forest and he was told about either an evil ghost or a terrible monster that lived there.

Being the curious and rebellious teenager that he was, the Prince decided to go and investigate. At the entrance to the forest, Tom looked at the walls of vines that towered over him like trees. Although he knew it would be very dangerous, he had to find out which legend was really true. Before he could walk in however, he was confronted by a mysterious traveler. It was a woman that he had never seen before.

"Excuse me young man, but what are you doing here?" She asked.

"Oh! Sorry, ma'am. What do you know about a monster? I've heard that there's one that lives in there." The Prince said.

"Monster? I should say not. Legend has it that within the castle through the forest of thorns lies a beautiful sleeping Princess. And she's been sleeping there for one hundred years."

"One hundred years? A Princess? Is it true?"

"Indeed it is. But you must be wary, kid. Those who go in this forest have never come out."

Something in the story about the Sleeping Princess aroused Prince Tom's curiosity, so he took out his sword walked into the forest, searching for the castle. After a few minutes of walking, Tom suddenly felt that he was being watched. The next thing he knew, he was standing in front of Heinous, who has transformed herself into a giant lumbering monster with horns, fangs, deep purple skin, a tail, glowing green eyes, and huge butterfly wings.

"Going somewhere?" Heinous taunted.

"I'm here for the Princess! You don't scare me, you old witch!" Tom shouted.

"If you want the Princess, you'll have to get through _me_. But I doubt you can. I'm sure your soul will be _delicious_!" She hissed, looking at the boy and hungrily licking her lips.

Tom kept a tight grip on his sword and said, "You don't scare me! Come and get it!"

Prince Tom and Heinous had a fierce battle. She blasted beams of green magic at the prince many times, but being a demon, he dodged every single one of her attacks. Soon, Tom had an idea. He harnessed his powers over fire and started to fly all around, circling Heinous' head and being careful not to get stuck on the thorns. Tom then lit his word on fire and proceeded to strike Heinous, but she saw him coming and he was now trapped in her drip.

"Ha! You thought you could defeat me? You'll NEVER get to the Princess." Heinous cackled, licking her lips at Tom.

"Not so fast." Tom said before breathing a huge streak of fire in her face.

She loosened her grip on the demon prince and as she was distracted, he thrust his sword through Heinous' heart. She screamed in agony before falling to the ground, not knowing that Tom had already made it to the castle. He burst through the doors and ran around the castle looking for the Princess. Then, he ran up a staircase until he reached a room on the top floor. He opened the door and he saw Princess Janna sleeping peacefully. He silently gasped as he looked at her; she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Tom walked over to the bed and gazed at the sleeping girl before him. He then knelt down, leaned in, and gave her a kiss. At that moment, the Princess's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head to look at the demon boy. The two of them stared at each other in silence for a minute or two before the Princess finally spoke.

"…What kept you?" She asked with a sly smile; she sat up.

"Uh… a giant lumbering monster outside, no biggie." Tom joked, playfully shrugging her shoulders.

"I like you."

"I like you, too."

The Princess then climbed out of bed and wrapped her arms around Tom's neck in a hug; she also gave him a passionate kiss on the lips. As they kissed, the castle and the village came back to life and the thorns that surrounded the kingdom disappeared, along with Heinous.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Prince Tom and the Princess were married that very day and they lived happily ever after." Janna finished. "How do you like them apples?"

"That was… actually a pretty good story." Marco said.

"Yeah, I liked it a lot." Star commented.

"Me too. And good thing, too. Meteora is finally asleep." Eclipsa said as she laid her sleeping daughter into her cradle.

"Hey… can _I_ have a go?" Tom asked.

"You?" Eclipsa asked, almost shocked. "I thought you said you were too old for fairy tales, Tom."

"I guess I was wrong. I couldn't help but listen and I think they're pretty cool. Also, I finished my Lighthouse comic." He tossed his comic book to the side. "So can I have a turn or what?"

"Sure, Tom. Go ahead." Star said.

"Thanks." Tom cleared his throat and began. "Once upon a time…"


	4. Ludostiltskin

…There lived a beautiful, but lonely queen who was in search of a suitable man to be her king. One day, she called for her Royal Advisor.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" The Advisor asked.

"Master Armberg, I want you to find me a king, someone who's special." Queen Janna told him. "And if you succeed, I'll reward you with your very own castle."

"My own castle?! Right away, my Queen! I'll find you someone special in no time!"

And so, the search was on. Soon enough, the finest young men in all the land came to the castle in hopes of becoming King. One of these suitors was a young demon boy named Tom; he stood in line with his father, patiently waiting to be called up. But Tom was growing rather nervous; he felt he wasn't special enough to be King. Then he was called up.

"And what's so special about your kid?" Armberg asked Tom's father.

"You mean Tom? Oh, my son can, uh… he can, um… he can spin straw into gold!" The demon boy's father lied.

Tom froze; he stared at his father in shock.

"I can _what_?" He whispered.

"_Straw_ into _gold_?!" Armberg exclaimed, just as shocked.

"Dad, are you out of your mind?" Tom hissed, his third eyes starting to glow with anger.

"This is incredible! You _must_ meet the Queen!" Jeremy announced as he started to walk away.

"…Don't mind if I do." Tom said with a smile as he and his father followed after the uniformed man.

The three men made their way through the hall and down the corridor until they entered the throne room where Queen Janna was waiting. Tom and his father got down on one knee in front of her.

"Your Majesty, have I got a guy for you!" The advisor declared.

The moment Tom and the Queen's eyes met, they were immediately entranced. Their eyes were locked on one another, as if they couldn't look away. Tom stared into the Queen's big brown eyes; he thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The Queen gawked at Tom, thinking that he was the most handsome demon that has ever lived. They stared deep into each other's eyes for a good few minutes of silence until Master Armberg snapped them out of it.

"Ahem! Your Majesty!" He yelled, clapping his hand in their faces to get their attention.

"Oh, right, right. Sorry." The Queen said.

"Sorry about that." Tom added.

"Your Majesty, this is Tom. And do you know what's special about him? The demon can spin straw into gold!" Armberg declared.

"Straw into gold? That sounds amazing! How do you do it?" The Queen asked Tom.

"Beats the heck out of me." Tom muttered under his breath before his father elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Ow! I mean, it's an old family secret."

"Yes! And to prove it, he's going to spin us a room full of gold!" Armberg said.

"I am? Oh, yes! I am! I am!" Tom said, laughing nervously.

"Now follow me so we can get you settled." Armberg said as he grabbed Tom's arm and violently dragged him away from the Queen.

So, that very night, Armberg took the terrified demon boy to a room filled with straw. But just before he locked the door to the room, he rudely sneered at her.

"Listen, dude, I've got a castle on the line here. Turn this straw into gold or you'll spend the rest of your life in the dungeon! Good luck!" He demanded before closing and locking the door.

Tom stood in the room for a long time; he knew very well that he can't spin straw into gold and he had no idea how to use a spinning wheel. In fact, the only thing he could do to straw and a spinning wheel was set them both on fire. But that would surely get him into even more trouble than he already was.

"Ugh! How the heck did I get roped into this?! Why did dad have to lie?! I can't spin straw into gold! No one can!" He ranted.

"Don't say that, my boy." An unfamiliar voice said.

"Huh? Who's there? Who said that?" Tom asked, looking around the room for the source of the voice.

Just then, he saw a strange hooded figure approach him from a dark corner of the room. The figure removed the hood to reveal the face of a bird-like creature called a Kappa.

"Hello there. You must be Tom." He said.

Tom was so shocked that he almost screamed; he had heard of Kappas before but he had never seen one in person before and he wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this.

Taking a step back, he asked, "How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"You'll never know. But all I can say right now is that I'm a friend, a friend who knows how to spin straw into gold." The little bird man said calmly.

"You can?! You can really spin straw into gold?! Can you really do it? Will you, please?" Tom pleaded.

"Of course I can, my boy. But I'll do it for a fee, of course. Do you have anything to give me?"

"Well… I'll give you _anything_ if you help me. But what do I have of any worth? All I have is this bracelet. It was a gift from my grandpa and it means a lot to me."

Tom took off the bracelet and gave it to the little man; it was made of black leather and it was adorned with spiked studs. The bird man examined the bracelet carefully before looking back at Tom.

"It's a deal." He said, putting the bracelet into the pouch on his belt. He went over to the spinning wheel and sat down. "And if I ever have to come back, the price will be much higher. Understand?"

"Got it."

"Now lie down and rest, I'll take care of everything."

So Tom laid down on the floor and quickly fell asleep. But when he woke up, he was surprised to see the little man gone and the room filled with spun gold. Armberg came in.

"Well, how's it…" He started before noticing the gold; his eyes widened in wonder. "Holy chalupa! Is this real?!"

"Yep, twenty-four karat." Tom said proudly.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! How do I know this isn't some kinda trick?" Armberg questioned.

"What? But-but—"

"Tell you what, pal. I'll keep an eye on this gold while you spin _another_ room full of gold."

"WHAT?!"

"Another room full of gold or it's the dungeon for you! Bring in more straw!"

Tom buried his face in his hands in defeat. Tom was horrified of doing this task a second time, so he tried to call for the weird little man that helped him the night before. And as if on cue, the bird man appeared before him just like he did before.

"You called, my boy?" He asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"Yeah, I did. Can you spin all this straw into gold? Just one more time, please?" Tom pleaded.

"Hmm… For a fee."

"Of course. But what else can I give? I have nothing left."

Then the bird man's face lit up; he faced Tom. "Is it true that the Queen will make you her King if you succeed?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Why?"

"Because I just had a thought."

"What is it?"

"Tell you what. When you marry the Queen and become King… you give me your firstborn child in exchange for my services."

Tom was shocked at what he had just heard; how could he promise something like that to a creature he hardly knew?

"Are you out of your mind?! I can't promise that!" He shouted in protest.

"Nope. Sorry, Tommy ol' boy. Unless you give me your child, there's no deal."

The little man was about to leave when Tom quickly grabbed him and pulled him back towards the spinning wheel.

"No! No! No! Stop, please! Wait! Don't go, PLEASE!" He begged. "Just spin the straw into gold! I'll give you anything you want! Anything!"

"Now that's a deal!"

So the little man right went to work. And in the morning, just like before, he vanished just in time. When Tom woke up, the Queen and her Advisor came in. She gawked at the gold.

"You did it! Let the wedding begin!" She declared; Tom grinned.

So the Queen and the young demon man were married that very afternoon and Tom had become King, Master Armberg got his castle, and everyone lived happily ever after… until one day.

About a year after the wedding, a beautiful baby girl was born to the King and Queen and there was great rejoicing throughout the land. And while the Queen was away on royal business one day, the King was playing with his daughter in the nursery when the weird little bird man returned. Tom was shocked to see that the bird man he had long forgotten. He nearly screamed at the sight of him.

"I'm back!" He said, smiling a big grin.

"It's you! I didn't think you were ever coming back." Tom said.

"Yep, a deal's a deal. Time to pay up!" The bird man said, reaching out his little arms towards the baby girl.

"What?! No! Get out, stay away! You can't take my baby!" King Tom begged as he held his baby close.

"Don't you remember _anything_, Tommy? I was the one who saved you from your desperate spot. We have a bargain!"

"No, please! Take my kingdom! Take my jewels! Take anything and everything just leave my daughter alone!"

"I already told you; a deal's a deal and no one breaks deals with _me_, sonny."

"No, please! You can't! Leave me alone!"

"Okay, okay, okay; quit it. I can't stand to see a demon grovel." He began. "How about this? I'll let you keep your child if you can guess my name. You can guess as many times as you want, but if you cannot guess it after three days, then your child is _mine_. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes! YES! Deal!" Tom said as he and the bird man shook hands.

During the first day, King Tom guessed every single name he could think of, but none of them were right.

"Alfred? Linus? Jude? Barnabas? Patrick? Arthur? Jack? Wilbur? " Tom listed.

"No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No." The little man answered. "You can try tomorrow night."

And the second day went as it went the day before and as it ended, only this time Tom tried the weirdest and silliest names he could think of.

"Potbelly? Flatfoot? Dogwood? Spiderlegs? Cow Ribs? Eggs Benedict?"

"You are running out of time, my boy." The bird man taunted. "I'll be back tomorrow, you can try again. But remember, sonny, tomorrow is the last day. And if you fail, well… you know what'll happen."

The little man vanished again and King Tom was getting very worried, but then he had an idea. He called for his most trusted loyal guard.

"You called, my King?" The guard asked as he approached Tom.

"Yes, Sir Marco. I need you to do a very important mission for me." Tom replied.

"Anything, Your Majesty. Name it and it will be done."

"Good."

The King sent the young knight out into the village to see what he could learn. And when he returned the next morning, he came back with very important information.

Sir Marco said, "Your Majesty, I've returned."

"And what did you find out?" The King asked.

"While I was walking through the forest sometime last night, I saw a strange little man was singing and dancing by a campfire. I didn't get a good look at his face, but I heard the song he was singing. It went something like; "Soon I'll win a baby from the King and I'll make it dance and sing! He'll guess and guess, but he'll lose the game for Ludostiltskin is my name!" Is that what you needed, Your Majesty?"

"Ludostiltskin? That's it!" The King exclaimed excitedly. "Thank you so, so, so much for all of your help, Sir Marco! After this, you'll receive your reward!"

"It was my pleasure, Your Majesty."

The minute the knight had left the King alone, the bird man had come back. But this time, the King was ready; he held his daughter close.

"It's me and it's the final day, Kingy. Can you guess my name this time?" He asked her in a smug tone.

"I believe I can." Tom said with a sly look on his face. "Is your name Butterbean? Or Jabberwock? Willy? John? Steve?"

"No, none of those. Why don't you give up now?"

"Ah, ah, ah, not so fast. Is your name… Ludostiltskin?"

The bird man froze. "WHAT?! How did you know?! Someone told you! It's not fair! It's not fair! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Ludostiltskin was so angry that he started to stomp on the floor as hard as he could, until he made a huge hole in the floor. He fell through that very hole and was never seen in the kingdom again.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"And so, King Tom, Queen Janna, and their baby girl all lived happily ever after." Tom said, taking a bow.

Eclipsa, Janna, Star, and Marco clapped their hands in applause.

"Now _that_ was a good story." Star commented.

"Yeah, you really surprised me, Tom." Eclipsa added.

"What can I say? It's how I roll." Tom said smugly.

"But one thing… You made me the Queen in your story." Janna pointed out.

"Well you made _me_ the Prince in _your_ story." Tom replied.

"…Touché."

"Hey, can _I_ have a turn now? I know it's late, but I have a really good one." Marco pointed out.

"Yeah, he's right. Marco needs a turn." Star said.

"Alright, alright. One more story and that's it. Go ahead, Marco." Eclipsa said.

"Thank you, Eclipsa." Marco stood up and cleared his throat. "Once upon a time…"


	5. Star Bright and the Seven Frogs

…There was a kingdom far away ruled a good king and his fair queen. One morning just before sunrise, the Queen looked at the sky; she was enthralled by the bright sun just peaking over the horizon and the tiny sparkling stars scattered about. She smiled.

"Imagine a child with eyes that sparkled like these stars, hair and skin that shine like the sun." She said to herself.

Months later, her wish came true and she gave birth to a daughter with bright blue eyes that glistened like stars, hair as golden as a rising sun, two pink hearts on her cheeks, and skin as fair as the full moon. She decided to call the little princess Star Bright. However, shortly after the princess's birth, the Queen took ill and passed away, leaving a grieving king and kingdom behind.

Years went by and the Princess grew up to be a curious, headstrong, adventurous spirit beloved by her father and her subjects. The King, however, grew very lonely and desired a new wife and mother for his daughter. Unfortunately, the woman he chose to be his queen was a vain, cruel, heartless person with thoughts only of herself. Her name was Heinous and she was very beautiful, but she never said a kind word nor did a kind deed in all of her life.

The Queen possessed a rare magical mirror that spoke nothing but the truth to any question. Every day, Queen Heinous would spend hours in front of her mirror to admire herself and she would ask it,

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

And the mirror would answer, "Your Majesty, there's no doubt at all: you are the fairest of them all."

This made the Wicked Queen very happy, but she couldn't bear the possibility that she might _not_ be the fairest in the land. So she kept checking and every time, she was satisfied.

But one day, everything changed. Just like any other, she went to her mirror and asked,

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?"

But this time, the mirror had a different answer.

"Heinous, my Queen, you are very fair, 'tis true, but… but there is somepony else who is fairer than you."

The room turned deathly silent, the Queen didn't move a muscle; she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Someone else in the kingdom is fairer than her.

"…Who?" She asked through gritted teeth, her eye twitched in anger.

"It… it's… Princess Star Bright." The mirror winced in fright as she spoke, waiting for the Queen's reaction.

Queen Heinous was enraged; how could her own stepdaughter be fairer than her? A newly formed hatred for Star Bright began to grow in the Queen's cold, cruel heart. Her eyes burned with anger as she glowered at the mirror before her.

"Star Bright?! That blonde, pale, scrawny, pesky goody two-shoes is fairer than ME?! That can't be true! I don't believe it; I WON'T believe it! Treacherous mirror! It's a lie, an outrageous lie!" She shrieked.

"My Queen, I speak nothing but the truth! You know that!" The mirror cried in terror. "See for yourself." An image of Star Bright suddenly appeared in the mirror.

Queen Heinous stared at the Princess's image; she couldn't stand the very sight of her. But then she saw how beautiful Star Bright actually is; the mirror was right. The Queen narrowed her eyes and she snarled in anger.

"If what you say is true, then I'll have to get rid of Star Bright… and luckily, I know just how to handle it." The Wicked Queen said with a wicked smile; she summoned the royal Hunter who promptly arrived.

"You sent for me, Your Majesty?" The Hunter asked, kneeling before the Queen.

"Yes." The Queen said, looking at the boy before her. "Sir Oskar, I'm glad you're here. I have an important task I need you to do for me."

"As long as you're queen, your wish is my command, Your Majesty. What is it you want me to do?" Sir Oskar asked.

"That's good because I want you to get rid of… Star Bright."

"Yes, Your Maj-wait a minute. Wait, WHAT!?" Oskar cried in shock. "But-but-but… but Your Majesty, surely you don't mean that! …Do you?"

"Oh! I most certainly do!" The Queen violently grabbed Sir Oskar by the throat and lifted him off the floor. "I want Star Bright gone for _good_! And if you don't want to get into any trouble with me, I strongly suggest that you do exactly as I tell you or else!"

"But Your Majesty, I can't hurt the princess! I'll get in serious trouble if I do this!" Sir Oskar managed to croak before his face nearly turned dark blue.

"Let me take care of that silly old fool of a King?! I have told you this once, I shall say it to you again: DO AS I SAY OR ELSE! HAVE I MADE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

"Okay! Okay, you win! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't hurt me!"

"Excellent."

The Queen loosened her grip on the boy's throat and Sir Oskar fell to his knees on the floor, gasping and wheezing for air. He coughed and took in a breath, his throat still feeling the pressure of the Queen's grip.

"Now go. And once you've done the deed, bring me her _heart_ as proof." The Queen said.

Sir Oskar got back onto his feet and let out a defeated sigh. "Yes, Your Majesty." He nodded his head and briskly scampered out of the chamber.

The Hunter wasted no time to find Star Bright to complete his task. He led her into the forest near the castle, saying that he wanted to show her something very special and that it just couldn't wait. However as the minutes bled into hours, Star Bright grew suspicious of Sir Oskar and she attempted to pry more information out of him.

"So… what did you want to show me out here again?" She asked.

"Oh, uh… a dancing baby penguin." Sir Oskar lied. "It's really, REALLY cute."

"I thought you said it was a bear cub wearing a top hat."

"No, it's definitely a dancing penguin. It's pretty tight."

"Uh… if there really _is_ a dancing baby penguin, then what would it be doing out here in the forest?"

Sir Oskar stuttered, trying to think of a good excuse. But the stare Star Bright was giving him forced him to cave in.

"Okay, okay! It was all a lie!" He admitted, falling to his knees. "The truth is… I was hired to do this."

"Do what? Hired by who?" Star Bright asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"The Queen. She wants me to—"

"Hey, look out!"

But before Sir Oskar could finish, Star Bright suddenly pushed him to the ground before she felt something hit her hard in the back of the head and she fell to the ground unconscious. The Hunter got back onto his feet, looked up, and saw that a large tree limb had broken from the tree above him. He looked back at Star Bright with wide eyes; she had taken the hit for him. He couldn't hurt someone who would do something like that, but he didn't want to get in trouble with the Queen so he ran away to try and find another heart to bring back to Heinous.

Sometime later, Star Bright regained consciousness; she groaned, put a hand to her head, and shakily sat up.

"Oh snap, how long was I out?" She asked herself, trying to get back onto her feet.

Star Bright got up and looked around, suddenly remembering where she was. Then she remembered what Sir Oskar had told her before she was knocked out. Something about the Queen asking him to take her into the forest to do something… but what?

"Why would my stepmother ask Sir Oskar to lead me all the way out here? Unless…" She said to herself before the realization of the situation hit her like a brick wall. "…unless she wants to get rid of me! Of course! I always had a hunch she didn't like me, but I honestly didn't think she would do something like _this_." She stood up. "If she wants me gone so badly, then I'd better find a place to stay… and soon before it gets too dark."

Star Bright ran deeper and deeper into the forest; she didn't care where she was going, as long as she was getting further and further away from the castle and her evil stepmother. Eventually, the sun had started to set and she grew very tired. Suddenly, she stumbled upon a small rundown cottage in a clearing.

"A house? What luck!" Star Bright exclaimed before running towards it.

She gently knocked on the door, but no one answered. She knocked again, this time much louder, but still no answer. Then the door slowly creaked open; Star Bright looked inside and saw how small everything inside was. The table, seven chairs, seven beds, and almost everything else in the house looked as if they were made for small children.

"Awww, how cute!" Star Bright beamed before letting out a tired yawn.

She was so tired that she collapsed right onto the tiny sofa and fell fast asleep. Just as the sun had set, the owners of the house came home. They were seven little frog-like creatures who had just come back from a long day of playing Cornball. The moment the seven frogs stepped into their house, they immediately found the sleeping Star Bright on their couch and they all let out a terrified croak in unison, which instantly woke up Star Bright.

"Agh! I never ordered those Goblin Dogs!" She yelled as she shot up and saw the seven frogs approach her. "Uh… hi."

"Who the heck are _you_?" The lead frog asked.

"Oh! Uh, forgive me, I'm Star Bright." Star Bright said with a nervous smile. "I was running through the forest and I needed a place to stay for the night. And… who are all of you if I might ask? I already told you my name, so _I_ should at least learn all of _your_ names, right?"

The leader stepped forward. "Good point. I'm Kat, and these are my brothers and sisters: Nosey, Snappy, Bouncy, Silly, Cheesy, and Baldy."

"Hi." The other six frogs said in unison.

"Nice to meet you all." Star Bright said warmly.

"Okay, now that we have introductions out of the way, can you tell us what you're doing here, Star Bright?" Kat asked.

"Oh right, of course." Star Bright said before she told the seven frogs everything that happened and what she thought her stepmother would do to her.

The young frogs were shocked by Star Bright's frightening story; they were also taken with her courage and her sweet and friendly nature. They all wondered why the Queen would want to get rid of her own stepdaughter and they felt very sorry for the Princess.

"Don't worry, Star Bright." One frog, Nosey, said.

"Yeah, we'll protect you from the Queen." Another frog, Bouncy, added.

"And you can stay here with us, if that's what you want." A third frog, Cheesy, chimed in.

Star Bright gasped. "You really mean it?"

"Of course we do! And if it's to get you away from that wicked queen, then you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like! Right, guys?" Kat asked her siblings; they all agreed.

"Oh, thank you all so much! You won't regret this, I promise!" Star Bright happily exclaimed before the little frogs ran up to her and gave her a big hug; form then on, the eight of them had quickly become very good friends.

That night, Queen Heinous stood in front of her mirror again.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, NOW who is the fairest of them all?" She asked with a wicked smile.

"My Queen Heinous, you are very fair, 'tis true, but Star Bright is still much fairer than you." The mirror answered nervously.

The Queen's eyes widened before she let out a scoff. "What? How can that be? Star Bright is dead."

"No, she's staying in a house in the forest with seven little frogs." The mirror answered before an image of the Frogs' house appeared. "See?"

The Queen's eyes widened again.

"What?! That deadbeat imbecile of a hunter lied to me! And I actually _believed_ him! Ugh!" Heinous shrieked. "But I suppose that's what I get for hiring a teenage slacker with a stupid haircut. Well, I wasn't planning on getting my hands dirty, but you know what they say. If you want something done right, do it yourself." She evilly smiled to herself.

The next morning, the Seven Frogs were almost ready to leave for school, then Cornball practice soon after. Star Bright was standing at the door about to see them off.

"Now remember, Star Bright. Don't open the door for anyone, even if they look harmless." Kat said.

"Right! So don't let anybody in." Snappy added.

"Nobody whatsoever." Baldy said.

"Yeah, plus the Queen is a _very_ tricky woman. She could be any_where_, or any_thing_." Silly commented.

"No one knows you're here, but you have to promise you'll be careful. Sorry for our paranoia; we just don't want anything to happen to you." Kat said.

"I get it, guys. But you don't have to worry about me." Star Bright said confidently. "I can take care of myself just fine. But I promise I'll be careful and I won't open the door for anyone."

"Good." Kat and the other Frogs sighed in relief.

"_You'll_ be late for school if you don't get going." Star Bright added.

"We're on our way right now. You know where we'll be." Kat said.

"I'll be fine." Star Bright said with a smile; she waved goodbye to her little friends as they headed down the road. "See you later!"

An hour or two went by; Star Bright had finished tidying up the house and she was about to play some music when she heard a knock at the door.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" An unfamiliar female voice called out.

"Who's there?" Star Bright asked, cautiously approaching the door.

"Oh, you don't sound like Kat or any of her brothers and sisters." The voice said.

"You know them?"

"Know them? Why yes, I'm their neighbor. I'm just across the creek over there. Could you open the door, please?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to let anybody in." Star Bright said, remembering the Frogs' warning.

"It's alright, dear, I understand. But why don't you come to the window instead. Surely there's no harm in that, hmm?" The voice asked.

"Uh, okay." Star Bright replied as she walked towards the nearest window.

She opened the window and she saw an old woman she didn't recognize standing in front of the open window. This woman wore ragged clothes that covered her whole body and she was carrying a basket covered with a white cloth. What Star Bright didn't realize was that it was Queen Heinous in disguise.

"Good morning, little miss." Heinous said in a disguised voice. "So sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could interest you in some fresh, delicious apples today." She removed the cloth from the basket to reveal all kinds of apples.

Star Bright's eyes widened at the sight.

"Apples?" She asked, unconsciously licking her lips.

She soon realized she hadn't eaten since the day before and since the Frogs only ate bugs, there wasn't really anything in the house for her to eat. Then she snapped back to reality.

"Oh! Uh, no thanks."

"Are you sure? You look like you could use a snack." Heinous insisted.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But I'm fine, really." Star Bright said before her stomach growled with hunger.

Heinous raised an eyebrow at her before taking a large bright red apple out of her basket and showing it to Star Bright. "Perhaps this special little treat will ease your hunger."

"Wow, that looks really good." Star Bright said. "But I'm don't think I can accept this, I'm sorry."

"Oh! Come now, my child. It's perfectly harmless, I assure you. Take it."

"Uh… I don't know. I don't have any money to pay for it."

"You don't need any money. Why don't you just take it as a gift?"

"If I did, I'd be breaking my friends' promise."

"I'm sure they won't mind if you just took half." Heinous then took out a knife and cut the apple in half; she took a bite out of one half. "You know what they say, deary. An apple a day keeps th—"

"Keeps the doctor away! Oh yeah, that's one of my dad's favorite expressions. Oh, I'm sure my friend won't mind. You've been so nice and that apple does look delicious."

"I knew you'd see it my way. Here, it's yours." Heinous gave Star Bright the other half of the apple.

"Thank you."

Star Bright raised the apple half to her lips and with a loud crunch, took a big bite out of it. The moment she did however, Star Bright suddenly felt as if she couldn't breathe and started to choke; she gripped her throat and coughed haggardly before she began to lose her balance.

"Oh no…" She managed to croak before falling to the floor and losing consciousness.

The apple lay beside the still, lifeless form of Star Bright; Heinous removed her hood and grinned down at the catatonic girl.

"Now we'll see who is the fairest." She said as she ran away from the cottage, laughing triumphantly.

Heinous had poisoned Star Bright's half of the apple. When the Seven Frogs came home and saw the apple next to her, they instantly knew what happened. The Frogs were devastated, they thought their friend really was dead but they couldn't stand to bury her.

Instead, they built a coffin out of glass and gold and they laid her down in a small clearing in the forest under a large willow tree, to which they frequently visited. Months passed and the clearing Star Bright laid in never changed, it was always springtime.

One fateful day, about a year after the incident, a handsome young man happened to pass by and he discovered the strange sight. He walked towards the clearing, looked inside the coffin, and saw the lifeless girl inside; the boy instantly fell in love with her.

"Whoa, who are you? Are you asleep?" He asked in a whisper.

"Hey! What are you doing?"

The boy suddenly looked up and saw the Seven Frogs standing before him with confused looks on their faces. His eyes widened as she stared at them.

"Who are you?" Kat asked, stepping forward.

"I'm Prince Marco Diaz." The boy replied, bowing his head.

"What are you doing here?" Nosey asked.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trespass." Prince Marco said. "I guess I let my curiosity get the better of me." He looked back at Star Bright. "Who is this girl?"

"That is Princess Star Bright. She's our friend… and we put her here." Cheesy said.

Through their tears, the Seven Frogs told Prince Marco the whole story of how they met Star Bright and by the end, the Prince felt as if he'd know Star Bright all along. He looked back at the Princess and tenderly put a hand on top of the coffin cover, a tear running down his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Star Bright. If only we could've met before." Prince Marco turned back to face the Frogs. "Excuse me, but could you lift the cover off of her coffin? I just want to say goodbye to the Princess, if it's not too much."

"I don't see why not." Kat said, wiping her eyes. "You seem to be a pretty nice guy and Star Bright would've been glad to be your friend. It's just too bad you two didn't meet sooner. Guys, can you move the lid to the side?"

"Thank you." The Price said as he watched the Frogs remove the coffin lid. He kneeled in front of her and gazed down at her. "Sweet dreams, Star Bright. You'll always be in my heart."

He then closed his eyes, leaned in, and gave Star Bright a gentle kiss. After he pulled away however, the piece of poison apple was dislodged from Star Bright's throat and she opened her eyes. Everyone gasped and looked at her as she sat up and rubbed her head.

"Star Bright! You're back!" The Frogs cried with joy.

"Ugh, what happened? How long was I out this time?" The confused Princess asked before noticing Prince Marco kneeling beside her. "Oh! Uh… hi."

"Hi." The Prince said with a smile.

"This is Prince Marco, Star Bright!" Silly said.

"He's the one who kissed you and broke the spell!" Kat added.

"Spell?" Star Bright asked.

"Yeah. Well, I thought I was saying goodbye, but it turned out to be hello." The Prince said.

"Well, what took so long?" Star Bright playfully asked.

Back at the castle, Heinous stood in front of her mirror yet again.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" She asked as usual.

"My Queen, you have been most fair, quite true, but the Prince's bride is fairer than you." The mirror answered smugly.

Enraged but also curious, the Queen decided to go to the wedding to see the mysterious bride for herself. When she arrived at the castle and recognized her stepdaughter, who was Prince Marco's bride, Heinous was dumbstruck with terror and shock.

"Star Bright is still alive?!" She cried out.

Suddenly, the Seven Frogs came out from their hiding places and they pounced onto the Queen before they forcibly dragged her out of the castle with her kicking and screaming in protest.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"Star Bright and her Prince were married and they lived happily ever after." Marco finished.

Eclipsa, Janna, Tom, and Star clapped their hands in applause.

"Nice one, dude." Tom commented.

"Wonderfully done." Eclipsa added.

"Thanks." Marco said proudly.

Star yawned. "I don't know about you guys, but I am beat."

"Yeah, me too." Janna said with a yawn.

"Oh great. Now you've got _me_ doing it." Marco yawned as well; Tom followed suit.

"Me, too." He chimed in.

Eclipsa turned her back for a moment, put away a few of Meteora's toys, and chuckled to herself.

"Well, I say it's about time for all of us to…" She started before she turned and saw that everyone had already fallen asleep where they were sitting. "…bed?" She smiled at them and playfully rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, children."

She winked.


End file.
